Fresh Life Church

Fresh Life Church

Fresh Life Church

Kalispell, MT- With six campuses across the state, Fresh Life Church is one of Montana"s largest churches. Featuring services broadcasted online and at satellite campuses each week, the pressure is constantly on the production team to create an environment that encourages fun and active worship, especially with the Church"s youthful congregation.

Each year the team takes over the Majestic Valley Arena for Easter / Good Friday services, all of which are broadcast live online. Attracting crowds of over 7,000 to the many weekend events requires a large space, however a venue typically used as a rodeo-arena is not always production-friendly. For the past five years, Fresh Life"s Lighting Designer Cole Pierce and his team have turned to 4Wall Las Vegas to make sure at least one part of the production is stress free.

Having the right equipment en route left Pierce to deal with other production issues.

"This venue is like no other venue we use during the year," said Pierce. "With a dirt floor and no loading dock, we are forced to have the semi pull into the venue, then forklift out all the cases and put them in the dirt. Of course once they are on the dirt, they have to stay there until empty. It requires a very experienced forklift driver!"

Rubberized mats soon cover the dirt after load-in, providing a floor to accommodate additional seating. Sufficient power is another concern, addressed this year with a 125kW supplemental generator.

With those challenges covered for 2015, Pierce turned to designing a plot to cover the stage and more than 300" of seating floor, while also ensuring adequate house lighting (as the team shuts off the arena"s built-in fluorescents) and stage lighting for the broadcast cameras.

Pierce"s design this year included a truss rig perpendicular to the stage and over the audience, as well as an angled "V" shaped truss over the stage that created a striking visual on camera.

"I love setting up the truss so it"s a part of the design, and not just a place to throw lights on."

Of course lights were added to the rig, with MAC Auras and MAC Quantum Washes taking prominent roles.

"We used the Auras last year and they provide excellent output and are very versatile. Our success with the Auras led me to try the Quantum Washes on the truss above the stage, as well as on boxes at the back of the stage for more color and effects. These are now my new favorite light and I"m looking to rent more for another event this summer!"

A last addition to the rig came in the form of MAC Viper Profiles and Performances.

"The Viper Profiles won me over last year with their many features," said Pierce. "With that in mind, we used the Performances as our white light this year. The ability to have framing shutters and a massive array or focusing options made them a perfect solution. Using movers allows me to light the singer in each song instead of washing out the stage, making everything look more professional."

In the end, Pierce and his team once again created a rig that showcased the continued growth of Fresh Life, its congregation, and their events. Despite the distance, Pierce will continue to grow future incarnations with 4Wall gear.

"4Wall being in Las Vegas made me a bit apprehensive as it"s a 2-3 day truck ride away, but they have been more than helpful year after year. They have always been there for us if we have a problem with the equipment in hand, and they provide us with quotes for rentals large and small. Based on the quality of products and care, the distance between us has meant nothing in the relationship!"

For more information on Fresh Life Church, visit the official site here.